Welcome to my Blog!


I am so glad you stopped by. A couple of months ago I saw the movie Julie & Julia, where a young woman decides to take a year and make every recipe in Julia Child's French Cookbook. I enjoyed the movie very much and became intrigued. Maybe I could do something like that, so, I got out my barely used, 13 year old, Better Homes Cookbook and started flipping through. Thus began my cooking experiment.

Cooking is something I have always hated to do, it was a chore for me, not a pleasure. I am not a professional cook, and never will be, but the movie ignited a spark in me and revealed a new discovery, cooking can be fun!

I am learning that with patience, motivation, and good recipes anyone can be a good cook. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you! I hope you will experiment along with me and let me know what you think of the recipes I share.

I will post each new recipe I try along with a picture (I can't stand cookbooks that don't include pictures!) so you can see the final product. I will also share tips that I have learned along the way. For you seasoned chefs, the tips may seem like common sense, but for those of us who are dummies in the kitchen, they are epiphanies.

Happy Cooking!
Nancy

Monday, July 26, 2010

Calico Cranberry Couscous Salad


I have been looking for some fun summer recipes.  I had never tried couscous, but had always wanted to, this recipe seemed like a good opportunity.  It was different, but I really liked it.  It was a nice difference from a typical green salad.

6 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 20 min.

Ingredients:

1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

•In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in couscous; cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; cool.

•In a serving bowl, combine the couscous, cranberries, celery, carrot, onions and almonds.

•In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Nutrition Facts: 1/2 cup equals 171 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 176 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat.

Taste of Home: Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2010
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Disclaimer:


None of the recipes posted on this site are mine, they are all taken from other sources, or given to me to try. I am not nearly creative enough or good enough in the kitchen to have come up with any of them.

I also cannot promise that any of these recipes are going to turn out good, or taste good for that matter, so you try them at your own risk.

Enjoy!!! Nancy SmileyCentral.com